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Monday, July 15, 2019

Sell All Your Possessions

I wrote about this some time ago and it remains my "biggest hit" in terms of both views and comments. I thought it might be helpful to revisit since it appears to be so popular among believers and skeptics alike. Is it necessary for Christians -- followers of Christ -- to sell all your possessions and give it all away?

Jesus said it more than once (e.g., Luke 12:33; Luke 18:22). What did He mean?

He didn't mean that all believers everywhere must sell all their possessions. How can I be sure? Jesus didn't do it. Sure, He didn't own a lot of stuff. Hardly anything at all. Just the apparently expensive clothes on His back (John 19:23-24). But if Jesus did not actually sell all His possessions, then it cannot be a requirement as followers of Christ to sell all our possessions. So Jesus Himself was an exception to the rule and we need to figure out, then, just what it is.

Jesus commended the widow for giving all (Mark 12:41-44) and told the rich young ruler to sell all (Luke 18:22). On the other hand, we have other commands in Scripture that run counter to "sell all." Paul tells people to "do their work quietly and earn their own living" (2 Thess 3:12). Thieves are commanded to stop stealing and to do honest work so that they have something to share (Eph 4:28). The Thessalonicans were told to "work with your hands" and avoid being dependent on anyone (1 Thess 4:11-12). Paul told the Corinthians to give "as he may prosper" (1 Cor 16:1-2). These do not indicate "give all." In fact Scripture commends some who did not give all. Barnabas sold a field (Acts 4:36-37) but not all. Zacchaeus gave 50% (Luke 19:8-9), but not all. Both were commended for it. On the flip side, Ananias and Sapphira sought to deceive the Apostles by claiming to give more than they did. They were struck dead, but not for not giving all (Acts 5:1-11). Peter said, "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?" (Acts 5:4). There was no indication that they were obligated to give anything.

If it wasn't a mandate for Christ, it cannot be a mandate for us all. If Scripture commends folks who don't sell all their possessions, it cannot be a mandate for all. What then?

On one hand, there is real danger when we love money. Paul calls it a trap (1 Tim 6:9) and warns that the love of money is the root of a host of evils (1 Tim 6:10). So having wealth is not a sin, but loving it is. Paul says, "If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content" (1 Tim 6:8). Rationally, loving and pursuing and clinging to that which is very, very temporary like wealth is foolish given the eternal nature of the believer. That's why James severely warns the rich who obtain it by sinful means and use it for self-indulgence (James 5:1-6).

On the other hand, Paul told Timothy, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy" (1 Tim 6:17). There are two key points there regarding how we should view possessions. First, don't count on them. They are not reliable. People who see their wealth as a means of safety, security, and comfort are standing on air. Second, all that we have is from God. He "richly provides us with everything to enjoy." As such, none of it is ours and all of it is for His use. Some of "His use" includes keeping us alive -- clothed, fed, housed, etc. -- and some of "His use" includes properly using what He gives us for His service. He gives us resources for His work. We are, in fact, commanded to be rich, but pay attention. We are to "be rich in good works" and to "be generous and ready to share" so that we store up treasure for ourselves in heaven. That, Paul says, is taking hold of "that which is truly life" (1 Tim 6:18-19), a life lived in the eternal view rather than the temporal. "Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called" (1 Tim 6:12).

We have not received a blanket command to sell everything. Jesus didn't do it. Scripture commends those who did not. We are warned about loving and relying on wealth, but we are told that what we have is from God and, as such, we should use it for His work. Neither the stark asceticism on one hand or the skeptical "See, you're not doing what your Bible says" on the other are in view in Scripture. Rather, live with an open hand, using the good things God gives you for His use and counting on Him to provide what you need. Nothing more; nothing less.

7 comments:

Craig said...

One of the most willfully and hypocritically misused verses in scripture. Like "Judge not...", and the "sheep and the goats", this is a handy club for progressives to attack with, while ignoring it in their own lives. It's clearly a command that is specific to one person on one circumstance, yet it's treated as universal.

I suspect, that Jesus intended this to be a deeper conversation more than simply a command. Alas, we'll never really know.

Stan said...

I've seen it used too often as a cudgel by those who disregard the Bible. "Oh, you say you believe the Bible? Well, then, why haven't you sold all? Liar!" Of course, there is no room for examining what was said and what was meant because that isn't the point to them.

I suppose I'm equally dismayed by those well-meaning souls who tell me, "Yes! That's what He meant. We need to sell all." "Well, then, why are you answering me from a computer you're supposed to have sold? And, oh, by the way, do you own anything? At all?" Those are the most problematic to me.

Craig said...

I agree that both are problematic. I think the former comes more from non/nominal/progressive Christians who tend to be very selective about acknowledging the existence of, let alone attempting to obey, Biblical commands. The latter tends to come as a response to the former and is possibly more a response of frustration at hypocrisy than anything else. The fact is that people who take Christ’s commandments seriously shouldn’t go down that road, which probably makes the latter more concerning.

I also think that the nature of online discourse leads us to respond in ways we shouldn’t.

Stan said...

I think your last statement is really important.

Craig said...

I think that the degree to which the internet has undermined civil discussion can't be ignored. I'm seeing too many examples of people using the relative anonymity to respond in vile and uncivil ways, I'm also seeing people allegedly committed to free speech endorsing this incivility.

There's currently a situation where a someone is being threatened with being doxxed by a left wing interest group simply because of political disagreements. Essentially, this person is being threatened with violence against himself and his family. It's simply cruel. Yet, so many just sit silently by.

Stan said...

With the elimination of societal civility and common courtesy and shared morality, dropping in an uncontrolled, unaccountable, anonymous mode of attack like the Internet and such only makes for a mess embraced by those who wish to use it as power.

William L. said...

Hi Stan,

Thanks for submitting your thoughts (and verse references) on this topic. I'm working through this topic in my own life right now and asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. I've accepted the fact that we should work and be productive (for we were made for work even before sin entered the world), but I think I struggle the most with Luke 12:15-34, specifically the parable portion.

I struggle with the idea of saving for retirement, which is a very 20th century western concept (although the idea of an inheritance goes back much further). If I'm saving for retirement, am I like the rich man in Luke 12? Clearly I have an abundance now (to even save money), so am I hoarding it by storing it away for myself in the future? It seems like ultimately it comes down to the question of whether or not we *love* the money we are saving, and what our relationship with the Lord is like.

Thanks again,

-William